Method for adding anti-ballistic protection to commonly carried office or school supplies

ABSTRACT

A method of adding personal ballistic protection from bullets and projectiles to hand carried personal devices. Armored plates, contained in flexible, ballistic fabric are attached to personal items to provide protection without being bulky or heavy. Various embodiments are adjustable to allow fitment to several sizes and styles of binders, books and laptops.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/847,943, filed May 15, 2019, the entire disclosure ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to a method of adding personal ballisticprotection from bullets and projectiles from handguns and small caliberrifles to folders, binders, laptops and other office or schoolequipment. This method involves attaching armored plates, contained inflexible, ballistic fabric and can be constructed in several ways, tomeet the protection needs of the user. Various embodiments of thedisclosure are adjustable to allow fitment to several sizes and stylesof binders, books and laptops.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many forms of personal ballistic protection on the market, butmany are bulky, uncomfortable and/or expensive. The present inventionprovides a customizable method of adding ballistic protection tocommonly carried items without adding too much additional size or weightand at a reasonable cost.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to a method of adding personal ballisticprotection from bullets and projectiles from handguns and small caliberrifles to folders, binders, laptops and other office or schoolequipment. This method involves attaching armored plates, contained inflexible, ballistic fabric and can be constructed in several ways, tomeet the protection needs of the user. The devices used in this methodcan be easily adjusted to fit on several sizes and styles of binders,books, portfolios and laptops (binders, books, portfolios and laptopscollectively referred to as “personal items”). The devices are generallyshaped like a book cover, having a main front side, a main back side,several straps, handles and, in some embodiments, additional removablepanels attached to each end as needed. These additional panels fold outwhen in use and fold inside the cover for storage. Each of the sections,main front, main back and additional panels consist of impact resistantmaterial, such as Kevlar© or another aramid or para-aramid material,that is folded over and stitched to form a pocket. Each of the sections,main front, main back and additional panels each have an outside and aninside with an opening near the top of the outside. This opening isparallel to the top of the section, is sized to allow insertion of athin, ballistic, hard armor plate in the pocket and is secured withhook-and-loop style material or other acceptable closure method toprevent the armor plate from coming out.

In one embodiment, adjustable straps are connected to the inside of thefront side and back side of the device, oriented parallel to the longside of the device, such that each strap will secure the device to theassociated panel of the personal item.

In an alternate embodiment, an additional layer of flexible fabric isattached to the inside of the front side and the inside of the backside, forming a pocket which opens vertically from top to bottom withthe opening facing the center of the device, where the spine of thepersonal item rests. This configuration allows the device to be attachedto the personal item like a book cover with the pockets enclosing theassociated panel of the personal item.

The primary embodiment of the disclosure has a thin strap attached tothe inside of the front side or the inside of the back side of thedevice. The strap is made of elastic material and is connected along theoutside, long side of the device, such that it can be used to hang thedevice around the forehead of the user with the panels hanging in frontof or behind the user.

The primary embodiment of the disclosure is also fitted with straps,which are handles, inside the front side and/or the back side of thedevice. These straps are made of elastic material and can be orientedparallel to the top and bottom of the device or in an angledconfiguration so that the user can insert a hand in each strap and holdthe device in front of or behind the head with the armor panels orientedaway from the user.

The primary embodiment of the disclosure has hook and loop, buttons,snaps or similar means of attachment oriented along the outside, longedge of the inside of the front side and the inside of the back side ofthe device, providing an attachment method for additional armor panelsto the front side and/or the back side of the device for additionalcoverage of the user.

An alternate embodiment of the disclosure has an additional armor panelor panels, constructed similarly to the main front or back panel of thedevice. The additional panel or panels can be attached to the front sideand/or the back side of the device and can be used to provide additionalcoverage of the user. Taller users may add as many additional panels tothe device as desired to provide adequate protection.

In all embodiments, the hard armor plates are rated to meet NationalInstitute of Justice (NIJ) Standard 0108.01 and are in the Type IIIAclass.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 illustrates the primary embodiment of the disclosure, configuredfor use on a 3-ring binder and flattened, in the open position.

FIG. 2 is a front view of one embodiment of additional panel,illustrating the snap and hook-and-loop attachment methods and handles.

FIG. 3A is a front view of the outside of another embodiment ofadditional panel, illustrating the opening used to insert an armorpanel, a handle and a dotted representation of an inserted armor plate.

FIG. 3B is front view of the inside of another embodiment of additionalpanel, illustrating some attachment methods along with a head strap andcarry handle.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment with additional panelsattached and folded in the stowed position. A book is illustrated as thepersonal item.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the device in openposition, illustrating attachment to a laptop computer.

FIG. 6 illustrates the opening on the outside of all panels thatprovides a means for inserting a hard armor panel. An armor panel isillustrated partially inserted into the opening.

FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment with two additional panels attached tothe front panel of the present disclosure and partially folded accordionstyle.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the present disclosure with a binder andtwo additional panels.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the outside of the device in foldedcondition. The hook-and-loop secured opening for insertion of an armorplate is illustrated.

FIG. 10A illustrates one basic embodiment of the present disclosure inuse and being held by handles behind the body of the user.

FIG. 10B illustrates one basic embodiment of the present disclosure inuse and hanging from the forehead of a user behind the body of the user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a view of the primary embodiment of the present disclosure,illustrating a method of adding ballistic protection to various personalitems. The term “personal item” is used herein to generically refer tobinders, books, portfolios, computers and other, commonly carried officeor school supplies.

In the illustrated embodiment, a protective covering 20 is generallyshaped like a book cover having a front cover 21 and a back cover 22.The cover 20 is made of Kevlar® or other aramid fabric and is folded andstitched to form a shell. Openings (34, see FIGS. 3A, 6, 7 and 9) arelocated on the outside of the front cover 21 and the outside of the backcover 22, near the top of the cover and running parallel with the top ofeach cover. A hook-and-loop matrix is used to provide closure of theopening 34 on the outside of each cover. These openings 34 are sized toallow insertion of a solid armor plate 33 into the outer pocket of thecover. A second opening 23 is arranged vertically, near the inside edgeof the front cover 21 and near the inside edge of the back cover 22. Theopening 23 on the inside of the cover is sized to fit the front panel ofthe binder 31 and allow the front and back panels to slide inside thefront cover 21. The opening 23 on the inside of the back cover is sizedto fit the back panel of the binder 31 and allow the back panel to slideinside the back cover. Additional handles 25 are attached to the insideof the front cover 21 and the inside of the back cover 22 and arearranged so that the user 41 can hold the cover 20 in an unfoldedcondition in front of or behind the body of the user 41 when the cover20 is being used for protection (See FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B).

The illustrated embodiment shows one embodiment of additional panel 27attached to the front panel 21 and another embodiment of additionalpanel 27 attached to the back panel 22 of the cover 20 using acombination of snaps 26, hook-and-loop matrix 24 and additionalconnecting straps 29 that use snaps 26 and hook-and-loop matrix 24 toconnect the additional panels 27 to the front panel 21 and back panel 22of the cover 20.

The illustrated embodiment illustrates a binder 31 inserted into thecover 20.

FIG. 2, FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are various views of different embodimentsof the additional panel 27. Each embodiment of the additional panel 27can have any combination of handles 25, connecting strap 29, head strap28, hook-and-loop matrix 24 and snaps 26 to meet the needs of the user.

FIG. 4 illustrates the present disclosure with a book 37, an additionalpanel 27 attached to the front panel 21 and an additional panel 27attached to the back panel 22. The additional panels are illustrated inthe folded/stowed position and the cover 20 is installed on the book 37.

FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of the present disclosure withpermanently attached connecting straps 29 and smaller straps 35 in lieuof the openings 23 illustrated in FIG. 1. The smaller straps 35 providea method to attach the present disclosure to a laptop computer 32without covering the screen or preventing operation of the laptop. Acarrying handle 30 is attached to the front panel of this embodiment andstraps 25 are attached to the inside of the front cover 21 and theinside of the back cover 22 to provide a means of holding the presentdisclosure in front of or behind the body of the user 41.

FIG. 6 illustrates the opening 34 on the outside of all panels 21, 22,27 that provides a means of inserting a hard armor plate 33 in thepocket of the panel. The opening is closed by hook-and-loop matrix,zipper, or other closing method common to the industry

One embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 7 with several additional panels27 attached to the front panel of the present disclosure and partiallyfolded to illustrate the accordion method of stowing multiple additionalpanels. The illustrated embodiment has a forehead strap 28 on theoutermost additional panel 27 providing a method to hang the presentdisclosure from the forehead of the user 41. The illustrated embodimenthas one additional panel 27 attached to the back panel 22 and folded inthe stowed position.

FIG. 8 illustrates the cover 20, one embodiment of additional panel 27near the front panel 21 and a different embodiment of additional panel27 near the back panel. A binder is illustrated near the above items.The openings 23 are illustrated on the inside edge of the front panel 21and back panel 22. Connecting straps 29 are also illustrated

FIG. 9 illustrates one embodiment of the present disclosure with oneadditional panel 27 connected to the front panel 21 and one additionalpanel connected to the back panel 22 with both additional panels foldedto the stowed position. The illustrated embodiment has a carrying handle30 attached to the outside of the spine. The illustrated embodiment isattached to a binder 31 containing paper 40.

FIG. 10B provides illustration of the present disclosure unfolded andhanging from the forehead of a user 41. The illustrated embodimentprovides protection for the user during cover in place behavior in anactive shooter situation.

FIG. 10B provides illustration of the present disclosure unfolded andbeing held behind the body of a user 41. The illustrated use of theembodiment shows protection for the user during flight in an activeshooter situation.

In alternate embodiments, several additional panels 27 can be attachedto the present disclosure to provide additional coverage for tallerusers. The connectors used to connect each additional panel are sized toallow folding of multiple additional panels in an accordionconfiguration as illustrated in FIG. 7.

Other embodiments are possible. Although the description above containsmuch specificity, these should not be construed as limiting the scope ofthe disclosure, but as merely providing illustrations of some of thepresently preferred embodiments. It is also contemplated that variouscombinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects ofthe embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of thisdisclosure. It should be understood that various features and aspects ofthe disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for oneanother in order to form varying modes disclosed. Thus, it is intendedthat the scope of at least some of the present disclosure should not belimited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above.

Thus the scope of this disclosure should be determined by the appendedclaims and their legal equivalents. Therefore, it will be appreciatedthat the scope of the present disclosure fully encompasses otherembodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art, andthat the scope of the present disclosure is accordingly to be limited bynothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an elementin the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unlessexplicitly so stated, but rather “one or more”. All structural,chemical, and functional equivalents to the elements of theabove-described preferred embodiment that are known to those of ordinaryskill in the art are expressly encompassed by the present claims.Moreover, it is not necessary for a device or method to address each andevery problem sought to be solved by the present disclosure, for it tobe encompassed by the present claims. Furthermore, no element, componentor method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated tothe public regardless of whether the element, component, or method stepis explicitly recited in the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of adding personal ballistic protectionto frequently carried personal items, generally shaped like a book coverand attachable to personal school and business items comprising: a frontpanel with an inner side and an outer side; a back panel with an innerside and an outer side; additional material on the inside of the frontand back covers forming pockets into which the front and back of thepersonal item can be inserted to secure the cover to the personal itemor; straps oriented vertically on the inside cover of the front paneland back panel that can are adjustable and can be used to secure thecover to the personal item; an opening on the outside of the front paneland on the outside of the back panel oriented horizontally and locatednear the top of the cover, allowing insertion of a hard ballistic panel;hook-and-loop matrix, snaps, zippers or other closure method providing aclosure method for each of the openings used for insertion of ballisticpanels; hard ballistic protection panels, generally rectangular in shapeinserted into the openings on the outside of the front and back panels,rated to meet National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Standard 0108.01 andin the Type IIIA class; straps that are handles attached to the insideof the front panel and the back panel that are used to hold thedevice/cover in front of or behind the head and torso of the user; astrap attached to the outer vertical edge of the front panel, back panelor additional panels that is used to hang the cover/device from theforehead;
 2. The safety cover/device of claim 1 wherein hook-and-loopmatrix, snaps, zippers or other attachment methods are oriented alongthe vertical outer edge of the inside of the front and back covers toallow attachment of additional panels.
 3. A ballistic safety device ofsimilar size to the front panel or the back panel of the safetycover/device of claim 1 comprising; a panel made of the same material asthe cover/device of claim 1 and generally rectangular in shape; anopening on the outside of the panel oriented horizontally and locatednear the top of the cover, allowing insertion of a hard ballistic panel;hook-and-loop matrix, snaps, zippers or other closure method providing aclosure method for the opening used for insertion of a hard ballisticpanel; a hard ballistic protection panel, generally rectangular in shapeinserted into the opening on the outside of the panel, rated to meetNational Institute of Justice (NIJ) Standard 0108.01 and in the TypeIIIA class; hook-and-loop matrix, snaps, zippers or other closure methodoriented along one vertical edge of the panel, providing a method ofattachment of the panel to the front panel or back panel of thecover/device of claim 1; straps that are handles attached to the insideof the panel are used to hold the device/cover in front of or behind thehead and torso of the user; a strap attached to the outer vertical edgeof the panel that is used to hang the cover/device from the forehead; 4.The ballistic safety device of claim 3 wherein enough material is usedalong the vertical edge to allow the panel to fold in when attached tothe front panel or the back panel of the cover/device of claim 1 but notin use.